Heilner & Schumacher (1894)

St. Augustine R.C. Church
15th street near M street NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20009

Status and Condition

The organ is no longer at this location, and is presumed destroyed, dispersed or relocated. We received the most recent update on this organ's state and condition January 17, 2017.

Technical Details

Two manuals.

Notes

This entry describes an original installation of a new pipe organ.
Identified by Steven Bartley, citing information from this publication: Baltimore Sun 12/29/1894 pg2; The Emergence of a Black Catholic Community By Morris J. MacGregor pgs 490,491,494.The St Augustine congregation built this modified Gothic building, in 1874. It was designed by E F Baldwin, a prolific Baltimore architect for the B&O railroad, and on his own, designing many churches in Baltimore & Washington. In the book, The Emergence of a Black Catholic Community, the Author noted that the Ganter & Schumacher organ was 2 manual and 34 speaking stops. In 1901 the organ was rebuilt/enlarged by Adam Stein, of Baltimore to be 3 manuals & 54 stops. In 1960, St Augustine's was merged with that of nearby St. Paul's, at St Paul's, though the former congregation was still active and viable. The Archdiocese sold the building in the late 1940s. It was demolished, no information of the organ has yet been found. George Schumacher was employed by August Pomplitz and at the time of Pomplitz's death, 1874, claiming to have been shop foreman; he branched out on his own. He showed up in the Baltimore Papers for some rather curious behavior, including opening mail of another employee, which landed him in court. Heilner was a Baltimore musician who lent his name to Schumacher for the building of several organs. (Database Manager. January 17, 2017)

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